THE DUNEDIN CUP.

Evening Star, Issue 5589, 5 February 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DUNEDIN CUP.

-Me H. Goodman's ch hj Lk Locr, 0 yra, 9*t 9ib. *Le Loxp, by Tr: ducer—Mermaid, C3mes of a rare running family, hia dam, who was bred by Rothschild in ISGO, having produced ia udditiou to the horse under notice r.ioh celebrities as Waterwilch, Mali'Je, Lurlm?, Castaway, Lure, and Li Mode; while Waterwitch ha* in turn produced N»tator and Nor eman, Li Loup is a grand-'o kinghune.aDdnosaesaesaßneturn of speed, but ho haa always labored under a suspicion of havirg a sift spot in hia compositlen, asd has, indeed, on several occasions ruu very shifiiiy. This, however, I have for some tima past looked upon as really foreign to his nature, a d as only iaduced by injudicious treatment ia his early days; for it is a fact that nothing could bo done with him at two and three years of age—be simply would not try when aak- d to gallop, ard coco- qu«ntly cruld not be got fit to oontest a race. Is was thus that until he was four year* old and had crossed the seas bo Australia ha never appeared _ 121 pubiie. There ho ran iu nine races, winmag one, ranmng: second fiva time*, third twioe, and napUeed only occa. At first he ran, as I have laid, sh fiily, but he gradually improved natil he proved himself tit to beat at weight-for-«ge anything except Cneater, First King/Petrea, and the like. Hia me unplaoed race was in tVe Melbourne Cap (Sst4lb). won by hia itiblc comjaoion Darrlwell (7«* 41b). and his one victory was in the T.R.C. Handicap (Bst 71b)—in which two r*c**« hia compatriot Mat* 8 ngularly enough foil»wed hia eximtle this season. Returning Jo New Z aland iu time for the Canterbury autumn mooting Le then ■won Frre Handicap, bat was beaten m the Fiyiog Stakes by M»t* at we:ghi-for-age. This a«soa L? Loup oommenoed very brilliantly, for tVough thf re w«a little merit ia wianing the Canterbury J.C. Handicap with the ridiculously light wefgit of 83J 91b conferred on him by Mr Lance, he cleared up all dcubts as to hia gameness and staying powers by rucning cle*n away with the weight - for - ago Cap beatiwj such quality as Foul Play, Nors-msn, Sir M.dred, T,rglaia Water, ard Lure—and sho the Chriatarurch Plate. Conaieg down to Dua•din he lost the 8:. Ardraw's Handicap, Atlantio, who was ia receipt of 3it 2 b from the big ch«tiut,l sting a bit longer thao was expoe'ei cf him, and being declared thu wiiner by a This defeat was, however, far from being a <?i.'grace to Ls Liup ; in fact, I look upou it as beirg an additional proof of his gsnuine pluck, for the course wae in a ftarfuliy heavy state, and he had a wushisg waight to carry, yeb ateuggled on to the last without evitcing tbe slightest deeke to shirk it. With a few poucdi less to earry, and company to meet that his owner will not be so lib 1/ to look on with ooatempt, I shall expect to see Le Loup run very forward in our Cup showld hs be the representative of the stable.

11b D. O'BaiEN's b g Fishhook, aged, 9it. Fishhook, by Traducer—Laurel, held a prominent position on our turf from the Vfelllngten meeting of 1574, where he won the Maiden Plate as a two-year-old, down to the Caaterbury autumn meeting of 1879, shortly aft«r wbioh he sustained s me injury whioh brought en lameaess, and he has been tamed out until the last few mouths. He kaa contested fcrty-throe kcjs, comirg in first twenty-four times; seeond, six times; third, four times ; and m placed, nine times. Among his best performances were thoee cf the Danedia tutumn meeting of 1877, when he won the Cup (7st 121b), beating fourteen others, Forbury Handicap (Sit 12'.b), and Flying Handicap (9st 2.b) ; those at the nm meeting of 1879, when he won the J.O. Handicap (9it), Railway Plate (w.f a.), and Queen's Plate (w.f.a.); and those at the Canterbury autumn meeting of the same year, when he won the Epsom Stakes (w.f.a ) and the Flying Stakes (w.f.a.)—in tbe latter race beating Mata, Temple ton, and Remo. With these brilliant deeds Fishheok wound up his career for the time beinf, aad as he is now no more than eight ▼ears old there i 3 no reason why be should have lout much of bis pace; and if his old owner can but bring him round by the day he has only a reasonable weight to carry and m&f equal his old opponent Terapletoa's feat of winning the Dunedin Cup fo: the Be«9td time. At present, however, we know little about how he is getting on, and it will be advisable to wa't until he puts rn an appearance at the Forbury.

Mb B. RwsAß'abh Ariel, aged, 3it 101bAriel, by Dainty Ariel—Una, is the same age a* Tisnhook, and has aJao been an excellent performer on the turf. He has ran in fexiy-two races, of which he won thirteen, ran seoend ten times, third eight times, and anplaoed eleven times. His victories inclcde •tbiee Auokland Cups ; Auckland Derby ; Dnnodin J.C. Hand'ctp tf 1876, when as a three-year-old he carried 6«t 121b and bc.»t Guy Fawkes (Sat 101b). Templeton (9 t), and slxotaeis; Auckland St. Leger; Canterbury Oup of 1877, beating Trump Caid, Mata, Templeton, and Chancellor ; Dunedin Forbury Haadicap of IS7B, carrying Ost 31b and beating Titania (7at 121b) and others ; ar d Oamaau T C. Handicap (lOst lib), bfa'.ing Fishhook (9st Sb) aDd four others. During the Us* year or so, however, Arif-1 has shown a con*derable falling-rff from his old foim, and although he is not badly treated in our raoa I prefer to ace him hero before estimating hi* chance very highly.

Mr H. Hosbford's b hj Hornby, 4yra, Btf 71b.

Hernby, by Songster—Toi-Toi, is a halfbrother to Kakapo, one of the speediest horses evor brt d in the Colony, and whom be bears a con&iaerablc restmblance to in shape and pace. Hornby made a brilliant debut, winning the Canterbury Derby from a field comprising C:ip, Billingsgate, On D.r, BetTayer, Adamant, asd Midge ; running second to Betrayer in Iho Cap, and stcsni in the Metropolitan Handicap, with the crushing weight for a three-year-old of Sit Sib, won by F,ul Play (9,t). He subsequently became subject to fever in the feet, which prevented his lioiog more than winning the Wanganui Town Plate and running second in the LI.OCO Cup at the ssn,e place behind Betrayer. This season he has only ron orea, unplaced in the Canterbury J.C, Handicap (Sit 51b), won by L? Loup (Sit 91b). It will be seen that Hornby is a tiokiish animal to have auything to do with. Fit and we'll, he is powerful ar.d fast enough to carry hia Sat 71b hoir.e iu 'he best company. At present that id all I can say about him.

Mr H. P. Lance's br hj Grip, 4 yrs, Sat Gib

Grip, by Slaiderer—Awatea, is one of the most horses tf the lot, but he has not given us opportunities erf aaupicg his running power*. A* a two-Year-old he ran u? placed in the Canterbury Champagne Stakes, behind Betrayer, Volunteer, and Fenella. At three years he finished second in Hornby's Canterbury Darby, with Betrayer, On Dit, Adamant, and Midge behind him • and at Dunedin autumn meeting he was unplaced in the Cup (7»t 21b), won by Mata (Bst 9!b), Titania (7«t 4lb) second, Foul Play (8«t 121b) tbird, but won the b\ Leger. beating Batrayer, Marie Antoinette, and Volunteer. Since then he has rot raced, and it is hard to get a line .0 go by. His stable companions Fcul Play and Natator have, however, been showing good form this Beason ; aud hia owner is too clever to leave bis worst horses in a race like our Cup, eo that Grip must be worth watching. Pemasuh.